How to Grow You Heart by Giving it Away

Our adoption coalition is in the process of re-doing our entire Heart Gallery. (www.pulaskicountyadoptioncoalition.com)But today, I dropped part of our disheveled Heart Gallery off at Christ the King Catholic Church. Their church has hosted the gallery several times over the past 2 years and are always looking for ways to get the point across to their congregation that there are so many children right here in our county who are waiting on forever families. This weekend they are hosting a reception for 2 of their families who are living this out and finalized adoptions on National Adoption Day. I appreciate them so much! I don’t think any group speaks up more for the pro-life movement then our Catholic friends.

Today reminded me of what God has continued to burrow into my heart about the pro-life issue: it’s not just about saving a life in the womb….it’s about preserving that life from the first breath until the last. Actually, almost 18 years ago, this very issue what what God used to rock me out of my apathy and into the world of foster care and adoption. He simply, yet firmly, said ‘It’s time to put some action behind those empty pro-life words”. After this life altering experience, I would see ‘We Vote Pro-Life” bumper stickers and say out loud in my car “and what else do you do?” The world hears enough judgment and criticism from the Christian community on this issue and certainly we have seen the radical, violent side of this ‘movement’…but what the world hasn’t seen enough of is the Christian community living it out.

When we foster…we don’t have to use words. When we foster…value and respect for life is obvious. When we foster vulnerable children and embrace them as our own, the world sees that these sometimes ‘disposable’ children are worth fighting for. And when the world sees Christ in motion, hearts are changed, destiny’s are altered and a watching world is speechless.

I gasped when I saw the title of your post, because I just had this EXACT conversation with my best friend this week. The two foster children I currently have in my home were born to a mother who was not ready for them, but did not believe in abortion. However, she did not have the support needed once they were here, so they ended up being taken away from her. Pretty sure that is not the “happy ending” all the pro-life people are hoping for when they try to convince women to not terminate their pregnancies, but it is the natural ending when those same people don’t provide ANY support to these women after the children are born.

Amen! This is exactly how I feel. If we are going to fight so hard to “save these babies” then we need to be able to take care of those precious children. The reality is, people that choose to have their children, even if they aren’t going to be able to care for them, do not automatically put their newborn baby up for adoption at birth. Just doing away with abortion is not going to magically have these babies that would have otherwise died, adopted into loving homes. That isn’t happening. We see first hand what the reality is….and many times it is just cycles of abuse, neglect, and children without parents. I am very quiet about my “anti abortion” views, b/c I don’t think people want to hear how I really feel about it…but I think I need to start speaking up more, and step on toes if that is what I need to do. If someone wants to “save a life” the really need to Save one.

I think I just said what Rebecca said in different words, but she said it more eloquently…haha

Hi friend,
I was praying for you this morning as a matter of fact. I know what you are going through and I know how difficult this is. Take your time-God will guide you and let you know when the time is right. We had the 2 year ‘anniversary’ (I use that term loosely!) this past week of the day B left us. I can honestly say it does get better-and the timing for E to come into our home (6 months later) couldn’t have been better. Let me know if there is anything I can do…Love to you guys.